Partake Brewing, a Canadian non-alcoholic beverage brand has raised $4 million in institutional funding as it banks on consumers turning towards alternative drinking options.
"I think the big reason for our success and for the renaissance of craft [non-alcoholic] is this drive toward healthier drinking and eating," Partake Brewing CEO Ted Fleming told Cheddar.
Partake is banking on more consumers choosing non-alcoholic options at moments usually associated with drinking beer or wine, such as a happy hour event or party.
"They can have it at lunch and be productive in the afternoon when they get back to work," he said. "They can have it at a business meeting and have that same social experience and connection that comes with those meetings and also then be able to go back and be productive."
Fleming said Partake aims to compete directly with alcoholic options, rather than soda or other non-alcoholic drinks, meaning it's shooting for a larger presence in bars as well as retailers.
While alcohol consumption grew during the coronavirus pandemic, Partake saw its sales rise as well, and now the company is anticipating an uptick thanks to health-consciousness.
"We're expecting there to be a bit of shift now toward healthier products as people get into September, back to school, some resemblance of back to normal," Fleming said. "It's a period where people will re-evaluate how much they're drinking and maybe look towards non-alc a bit more going forward."
Partake's products, which include beer varieties such as IPAs, stouts, pale ales, and blondes, contain zero carbohydrates and as few as 10 calories per drink.
Scott Wren, senior global market strategist with Wells Fargo Investment Institute, joined Cheddar News to discuss Monday's market trading as earnings continue to trickle in and ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting next week.
The Walt Disney Co. will be laying off several thousand employees this week, a second round of cuts that’s part of a previously announced plan to eliminate 7,000 jobs this year.
Nissan Americas Chair Jeremie Papin spoke with Cheddar News and outlined the company's strategy, specifically its future in the electric vehicle market. "We foresee potentially 40% of our sales in 2030 being EVs," he said.
Restaurant inflation was up 8.8 percent from a year ago in March, according to the latest consumer price index, and customers say they're more carefully considering their culinary spending. Cheddar News correspondent Ashley Mastronardi visited Isabelle's Osteria in midtown Manhattan to ask patrons how the higher prices are impacting their wallets.
Longtime CNN host Don Lemon is out at the cable news network a little over two months after apologizing to viewers for on-air comments about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, CNN announced Monday.
The SAG-AFTRA National Board over the weekend voted unanimously to express solidarity with the Writers Guild of America and its plans to go on strike amid ongoing negotiations with studios and streamers.